Baptism: Celebrating Our New Identity

Baptism: Celebrating Our New Identity

This morning, we’re going to continue our sermon series on “Doing Church Biblically.” And these sermons are a bit unique because they’re really functioning as a church membership class that’s designed to prepare those who are interested to start Redeeming Grace Church on October 23. And so all of these sermons are aimed at specific topics related to church membership. 

And this morning, we’re going to look at a topic that’s commonly misunderstood and yet offers us one of the richest foundations for living the Christian life. We’re going to look at baptism. Baptism is a way and actually the way God has given us to publically identify ourselves as Christians.  Now in our society, there are many different ways for us to communicate significant announcements, especially now that we have tools like social media. I remember when Becky and I started dating, it wasn’t official until we made it Facebook official. And I remember when we did that. We had a date at Texas Roadhouse I think, during which I directly expressed interest in pursuing a relationship, and so you know what we did? We didn’t have smartphones back then, so right after we ate, we went to the public library, which was pretty close by, and we got on one of their computers, we logged onto Facebook, and we changed our relationship status. It was a defining moment of our relationship. We understood we couldn’t go any further in our relationship until we made things Facebook official. To proceed in any other way seemed contrary to the very laws of nature when it came to relationships. 

And that may be the case when it comes to relationships, although I realize that’s somewhat debatable. However, that’s actually not the case when it comes to another significant announcement—the announcement of becoming a Christian. God has given us a very specific way to announce our new Christian identity, and it’s not Facebook—it’s baptism. Baptism is the way God’s given us to tell the world that we’re now Christians. So this morning, we’re going to talk about baptism: First what baptism symbolizes, then who should be baptized, and finally what the proper mode of baptism is.

What Baptism Symbolizes

First, what baptism symbolizes. It symbolizes a fundamental change of identity. Please turn with me to Romans 6:3-4. If you’re using the Story Bibles we provide, that’s on page 781. Or it will be on the screen. Romans 6:3-4: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

Now I realize that may passage may be kind of difficult to understand, but let’s think about it together. Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins, and then he resurrected from the dead. That’s how we’re saved. That’s how we can have a relationship with God. Not because we’re good enough, not because we earn it by living a moral life, but simply because of what Jesus has done on our behalf by dying on the cross and rising again from the dead. But that’s not all, because look what Paul says. He says, in verse 3, that all of us believers “have been baptized into Christ Jesus” and specifically that we’ve been “baptized into his death” and going into verse 4, “were buried with him by baptism into death.” So just like Christ died and was buried, it’s like we too have died spiritually and were buried spiritually. And then, continuing on in verse 4, just like Christ was raised from the dead, we too get to walk in that “newness of life,” that resurrection life. So, to say it in plain language, now that we’ve embraced Jesus and become a true Christian, our old self has died, and we’re new people. Praise God. And all of that is symbolized by baptism. Notice how that word baptism comes up three times in verse 3. Our new identity is symbolized by baptism. That’s one of the reasons we believe that baptism is properly done by immersing someone in water, which we’ll talk more about later.  Immersion accurately illustrates what baptism is supposed to symbolize. When the person goes down under the water, it symbolizes the death of the old person, and when they come up out of the water it symbolizes the arrival of the new person. It’s all about the end of the old and the beginning of the new. 

Now, listen to me: Contrary to what some people mistakenly think, baptism doesn’t save us. It doesn’t cause us to become a new person. It merely symbolizes that we’ve already been changed. We already have that new identity simply by putting our trust in Jesus. Baptism is simply a way for us to illustrate or re-enact on the outside what’s already happened on the inside. How do we know that? Well, the Bible clearly teaches it. In Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul states, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” So we’re saved simply “through faith” as it says and, as it also says, “not a result of works.” Baptism is a work, it’s an action, it’s something we do. And this verse clearly states that works don’t save us; we’re saved simply by faith. Therefore, baptism doesn’t save. 

Also, Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” So how is “eternal life” described? Is it something we earn? Is it something we achieve by our works, such as baptism? No. It’s a “free gift,” Paul says. 

And lastly, think about the thief on the cross, who was crucified next to Jesus. Luke 23 records how he expressed faith in Jesus, and what did Jesus say to him? Luke 23:43: Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Wow. I’m no expert on Roman crucifixions, but I’m pretty sure nobody took that dude off of his cross in order to baptize him so he could go to heaven. He was saved simply by faith. 

So baptism is merely an outward symbol of what’s already true inwardly. That’s all it’s intended to be. Kind of like my wedding ring. This ring doesn’t make me married. It simply symbolizes that I am married. If for some reason we chose not to exchange rings in our marriage ceremony, we would still be married. And if this ring fell out of my hand right now and rolled into some air vent somewhere never to be seen again, I would be in big trouble, but I would still be married…probably. I’d better put it back on. You see, the wedding ring is merely a symbol. And it’s the same with baptism. It doesn’t save us; it merely symbolizes that we’re already saved prior to being baptized. It’s a symbol of our new identity. 

Forgiven

So, what exactly does that new identity look like? What exactly does baptism symbolize? I think the Bible teaches three main things that mark our new identity. Number one, we’re forgiven of our sins—totally, 100% forgiven. In Ephesians 1:4, Paul states that God “chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” Think about that. “Holy and blameless.” Have you ever done something and felt terrible about yourself afterwards? You felt dirty and tainted and almost beyond God’s forgiveness? If you’ve put your trust in Jesus and become a true Christian, listen to me: you don’t have to feel that way. This verse tells you your new identity: you’re “holy and blameless” before God. Jesus has already paid the penalty for your sins on the cross, and because of what he’s done, your record is wiped clean—totally, 100%. Now, if you haven’t embraced Jesus, you should feel the weight of your sin—you should feel every ounce of that weight—because you still are condemned in God’s eyes. But if you’ll put your trust in Jesus, that burden can be lifted off of your shoulders too. Isaiah 1:18 says it like this: “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” That’s what it’s like for someone who’s truly a Christian. Every single page of their spiritual rap sheet has been thrown into the shredder, and God will never again view them as that kind of a person. 

New Heart

Second, not only are we forgiven, but we also have a new heart. You see, not only did we have the rap sheet of a criminal, we had the heart of a criminal. Our heart was set in stubborn rebellion against God and thoroughly polluted with sinful desires. Ephesians 2:1 actually describes us as “dead in transgressions and sins.” But as part of our new identity, you know what we get? We get a spiritual heart transplant. In Ezekiel 36:25-27, God says: “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”

When somebody has an organ transplant, it’s because the doctors have determined there’s absolutely no way to salvage the old organ. It’s beyond repairing. There’s absolutely nothing they can do except take it out completely and replace it with a different one. And that’s the way it was with our hearts. According to this passage, we had what it calls a “heart of stone.” It was lifeless, it was cold, it was dead. There were no vital signs whatsoever—no love for God, no desire for God, no inclination to worship God at all. It was so far gone that the only thing to do for a heart like that was to take it out completely and to replace it with a different heart. As this passage calls it, “a heart of flesh.” So God takes out the heart of stone and replaces it with a heart of flesh. And all of a sudden, we’re a different person. We have different desires, different perspectives, different priorities. That’s how you know you’ve truly become a Christian—you’re different. And that’s part of the new identity that baptism symbolizes. You’re a different person to the core of your being. 

Adopted

And finally, the third aspect of our new identity is that we’re adopted into God’s family. So we’re forgiven, we’ve got a new heart, and now we see that we’re adopted. No longer are we spiritual orphans. We’re now part of the family of God. 1 John 3:1 tells us, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!” And you know, this may very well be the most amazing aspect of our new identity. Because God didn’t have to do this. Actually, he didn’t have to do any of it since we deserved absolutely nothing. But he especially didn’t have to do this. But he did. God said, “I’m not just going to bless you from a distance by forgiving your sins and giving you a new heart. I’m going to bring you into my own family.” No longer are we spiritual orphans. No longer are we left to wander the streets. We have a family now—a family that goes even deeper than our biological family since this family lasts for eternity. Don’t let Satan lie to you by telling you that God doesn’t love you or that he’s going to abandon you or that he’s not deeply concerned about your welfare. God has made himself our Father by adopting us into his family, and he’s a good Father, a loving Father, a faithful Father. And even though all earthly fathers fall short of that perfect standard to one degree or another, God will never let us down. 

So that’s our new identity. We’re forgiven, we have a new heart, and we’re adopted children of God. Those are the three distinguishing features that mark our new identity. And that new identity is symbolized by baptism. When we go down into the water and come up out of the water, that symbolizes how the old person is gone and the new person is here. It’s the most radical change we could possibly experience. 

Who Should Be Baptized

Now all of that is our first main point about what baptism symbolizes. And these next two points kind of grow out of that first point, and I’ll be a bit briefer with both of these. As we think about what baptism symbolizes, that naturally leads us to certain conclusions two additional items: who should be baptized, and the proper mode of baptism. So those are the next two points. First, “Who should be baptized.” And the answer is “only those who have put their faith in Jesus.”

When you think about it, that makes sense. If baptism symbolizes a new identity in Christ, it makes sense that only those who actually have a new identity should be baptized. So that means we don’t baptize infants at this church. Infants aren’t old enough to put their faith in Jesus yet. Therefore, they don’t yet have a new identity in Christ. And so, they don’t receive baptism. Of course, we love celebrating infants. We love celebrating that major life event and dedicating those babies to the Lord. But we just don’t baptize them. 

Now I realize that a lot of churches around here do baptize infants. So let me show you from the Bible why we don’t. So, as my elementary school teachers used to tell me, put your thinking caps on because the next 3 or 4 minutes is going to be kind of intense. I’d like to show you from the Bible how baptism is always tied to personal trust in Jesus, which an infant obviously isn’t yet able to possess. Acts 2:41 records what happened right after Peter preached his famous sermon at Pentecost: “So those who received [Peter’s] word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” So who was baptized? “Those who received [Peter’s] word.” Baptism is tied to personal conversion. Also, Acts 8:12: “But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” Again, baptism is tied to believing the gospel. 

Also, look at Galatians 3:27: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Hmm. “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” So that implies that every single person who has been “baptized into Christ” has presumably “put on Christ” or at least made that claim. This verse doesn’t leave any room for any other kind of person to be baptized. It doesn’t leave any room someone who’s been “baptized into Christ” who hasn’t at least made the claim of putting on Christ. But how can an infant “put on Christ”? How is that possible?

And finally, Colossians 2:12: “[You were] buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.” So here we see what baptism symbolizes, being buried with Christ and raised with Christ. In other words, having a new identity, like we’ve already talked about. But does an infant have that new identity? No, they don’t. Because in the words of this verse, they don’t yet have “faith in the powerful working of God.” So if an infant doesn’t yet have a new identity in Christ, why would we give them something that symbolizes a new identity in Christ? 

The Proper Mode of Baptism

So that’s why we don’t baptize infants. Not because of personal preference or a particular denomination’s history or traditions, but simply because of the Bible’s teaching. Now that naturally leads us to the question, “How should we baptize?” We now know who we’re going to baptize (those who put their faith in Jesus), but how should we baptize them? What’s the proper mode of baptism?

I remember last year, a Catholic friend of mine who taught CCD class asked me to be a guest speaker for her second grade CCD kids. So I came, and she introduced me to the kids by saying, “Everyone, this is Josh, and he’s a Baptist,” like I was some kind of rare specimen that you might not get a chance to see very often. So I said a few things to the class about being a Baptist because that’s what my friend requested I talk about. And I explained what baptism symbolizes and how baptizing people by completely immersing them in water is a beautiful picture of the gospel. And after my little speech, the kids were able to ask questions. And I remember one little girl asked me with this concerned look on her face, “Do people drown when you baptize them?” She was very concerned. So I explained to her that I’ve never heard of anyone drowning since they’re only under water for one or two seconds. But it was such a novel idea to them. 

I’m sure some of you here probably grew up that way. You were sprinkled with water for your baptism, and you’ve never known any different. But is that true baptism as the Bible describes it? There are some who would say “yes.” We, however, say “no.” We’re not saying you’re not a Christian or that Jesus doesn’t love you if you’ve been sprinkled. We’re just saying that’s not a valid form of baptism. We believe the only valid way someone can be baptized is by being immersed in water. And I’d like to take another 3 or 4 minutes and prove that point to you from the Bible. And I know I’m throwing a lot of information at you here. For some of you, I’m sure you feel like you’re head’s spinning with all this information, but in all fairness this is a “church membership class,” so it’s okay if you need to take a Tylenol afterwards. Try your best to stick with me here though. Why do we only baptize by immersion?

First, the word the Bible uses for “baptize” in its original Greek language is “baptizō.” That’s actually where we get the English word “baptize” from. The English language didn’t have a word for baptism, so we just transliterated it from the original Greek. And guess what that Greek word “baptizō” means? It literally means “to plunge, dip, or immerse” something in water. Look it up in any respected source, and you’ll find that’s the commonly recognized, standard meaning of that word both inside and outside the Bible. So that’s one reason we believe you should be immersed in water. That’s the literal meaning of the word “baptizō.”

Second, think back to what we already talked about. What does baptism symbolize? Think back to Colossians 2:12: “[You were] buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.” So baptism symbolizes what? Being buried with Christ and being raised with Christ. But how do you get that symbolism by sprinkling someone? You don’t. You have to immerse them, lowering them down into the water to symbolize union with Christ in his death, and raising them up out of the water to symbolize union with Christ in his resurrection. 

And finally, in addition to the literal meaning of “baptizō” and in addition to what we know baptism is supposed to symbolize, the third reason I’d give for baptizing by immersing someone is that’s the way we see baptisms occurring in the Bible. Take Mark 1:4-5 for example: “John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.” So where were they being baptized? It says there were actually “in” the Jordan River. Hmm…interesting. Also, verses 9-10 of that same chapter: “In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.” So not only do we see Jesus being baptized “in” the Jordan River, but it even describes how he “came up out of the water.” Sounds like he was immersed to me. 

Conclusion

So if you haven’t been baptized the way the Bible tells us to be baptized yet, let me encourage you to do that. Not only is it required for church membership, it’s what Jesus tells us to do, and it’s a way to celebrate our new identity. Isn’t it natural to want to celebrate different blessings in life? Think about J and Rachel this past week, having a new baby. Do you think they might want to celebrate that? They look pretty happy in that picture, so I think they will. And they’re actually going to celebrate it every year having a birthday party. That’s what we do. We celebrate things. And baptism is a way for us to publically celebrate the greatest blessing of all, the blessing of salvation. The blessing of our new identity. The blessing of being forgiven and given a new heart and being adopted into God’s family. That’s worth celebrating. So if you’re a Christian, you should want to be baptized. It would be quite strange—not to mention unbiblical—if you didn’t want to be baptized. 

And if you’ve been baptized by immersion after coming to faith, let me encourage you to remember your new identity symbolized in your baptism. View yourself in light of that new identity. The next time you feel dirty, guilty, or unforgiveable, remember that you’re actually “holy and blameless” in God’s sight. The next time you feel discouraged or hopeless when it comes to conquering a certain sin in your life, remember that you have a new heart. And the next time you feel unloved, unwanted, or are tempted to believe that God doesn’t care about you, remember that God has adopted you into his family and calls you his son or daughter. Remember all of that. View yourself in light of that new identity. Keep going back to it again and again.